The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching shines a light on the everyday hard work of our nation’s teachers and the amazing students who inspire and call us to action. It is a touchstone for realizing the power and potential of scientific inquiry and STEM for students. I am humbled, grateful, and honored to be in a community of such exemplary teachers. It is the pinnacle of my career trying to make science come alive in the eyes of children.

Krishni Patrick Takoma Park, MD | K-6, Science, 2022

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Krishni Patrick has been a first through fifth grade teacher for 21 years. She began as a DC Teaching Fellow at Truesdell Elementary School, Leckie Elementary School, and Thomson Elementary School. She then taught at Centreville School. Since 2007, she has taught at Piney Branch Elementary School within Montgomery County Public Schools, teaching third grade, fifth grade, and as a school STEM teacher. She currently teaches all subjects to her fifth grade students. Krishni has always strived to create a culture of respect and partnership with her students and families by setting high expectations, honoring her families’ cultures and traditions, and applying culturally-relevant practices. She shared strategies for engaging multilingual learners in STEM at a regional NSTA conference. In 2022, she partnered with the NAACP and her school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to bring COVID vaccine clinics to her school and helped organize vaccine education events in four different languages. Krishni has elevated STEM throughout her career. Her past third graders raised shad in a hatchery and released the fish into the Potomac Watershed. She created robust STEM nights engaging hundreds of families. She also sponsored students in several events, including the Maryland STEM festival and the Washington Nationals STEM showcase. Krishni supported her district’s mathematics and science departments by adapting curriculum and training teachers in STEM and NGSS. Krishni has a B.S. in biology and English from Ursinus College, an M.A. in English from Old Dominion University, and an M.A. in education from American University. She has a graduate certificate in educational leadership from Hood College and is a second through seventh grade National Board Certified Middle Generalist.

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